Tamarac to spend millions to fix its sewer system

March 29, 2013|ARUN SIVASANKARAN, asivasankaran@tribune.com

Faced with a drastic increase in the city's wastewater flow and treatment costs in recent years, Tamarac is planning to spend at least $9 million to $12 million in 10 years to rehabilitate its aging sewer system, with $1.6 million being spent this year.

The city, which anticipates spending $5.6 million this financial year for wastewater disposal, has seen costs increase by an average of 10 percent over the last four years. The increase, according to a consultant appointed by the city, is mainly because of groundwater and storm water entering the city's sewer system.

Tamarac was disposing wastewater at the rate of 7.5 mgd (million gallons per day) up until a few years ago. By 2011 to 2012, the number had jumped to 9.42 mgd, exceeding the city's reserve capacity of 8.5 mgd at the North Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant.

"Last year, the city had to pay additional fees on top of normal treatment costs because we exceeded capacity," Jack Strain, the city's public works director, told city officials at a recent workshop. "We had to pay a penalty for three months. Within the last two years, there has been quite a bit of increase in the city's wastewater flow."

The city's sewer system has significant inflow and infiltration issues, said Rene Mathews of Mathews Consulting Inc., the city's consultant.

The city has been addressing its inflow and infiltration issues since 1995. Strain said the time had come for the city to accelerate the rehabilitation of its sewer system.

"The county estimates that the changes needed to meet the ocean outfall rule will require $800 million in capital expenditure by large users," Strain said. "Tamarac is a large user of the North Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant. Unless we reduce our wastewater flow, we would be responsible for $72 million of the capital costs by 2025."

The city's plan is to target a wastewater reduction of 1.7 mgd to 2 mgd within 10 years by spending $9 million to $12 million. This year, $1.6 million will be spent from the city's Capital Improvement Program to address issues in problematic neighborhoods, such as Westwood 22, Westwood 23, Concord Village, Westchester and Sands Point.

"We want to get this done in 5 to 6 years rather than 9 to 10," Strain said. "By eliminating inflow and infiltration, we are freeing up our capacity, decreasing our annual cost of wastewater treatment and being environmentally conscious. We don't need to raise rates for this."

Vice Mayor Harry Dressler wanted the city to stay ahead of the curve. "Given that interest rates are at historic lows and the city's credit ratings are at historic highs, why don't we come up with a 20-year plan? Maybe that is the way to do it. This is another reason why we need to increase the city's cash reserves without raising taxes."